Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

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BeyondBlue Hi! Check out this post if you're not sure how to start
  • replies: 0

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are... View more

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are really interested in what you might want to add to these conversations. We get it, having anxiety makes it hard to share in a public place. Remember, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anxiety in some form in their lives. This might be in social settings, at work, or just in the day to day. You don’t need a diagnosis to post here. If it feels like the right spot for your post, go right ahead! We know that feeling anxious can make it hard to reach out so we want you to know that getting this far is amazing and a great start. A few tips for getting the most out of this section: Get involved when you can! Posting and replying is the heartbeat of this community and you DO have something worthwhile to share (when you’re ready ) Every experience is different. There is no competition here. We know how challenging anxiety can be and how it comes in all shapes and sizes. What you are experiencing will be respected and supported here. Trust yourself! You are the expert in your experience. This community works because people like you share what has worked for you. Thank you for getting involved and taking a look. We can’t wait to hear from you! Beyond Blue

All discussions

anita24 How to get by
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone so I really hope someone can understand what I am going through but I am in full panic mode now and need to vent. I’ll explain first off by I panic every day When going to work I feel like I am “ in danger” every time I go and everyone I ... View more

Hi everyone so I really hope someone can understand what I am going through but I am in full panic mode now and need to vent. I’ll explain first off by I panic every day When going to work I feel like I am “ in danger” every time I go and everyone I talk to I get anxiety with anyway I’ve had a few weeks off work as the company closes for Xmas period and it’s coming up to the time I have to go back and I am having anxiety attacks and cannot relax for a minute. I’ve had no support and just keep pushing myself to go but I’m at wits end. I don’t know how long I can continue. This happens at every job too. I’ve had to move out of home because of how toxic it was so I have no choice but to work. I’ve been to psychologists but they haven’t helped so far. If anyone has been in a similar situation as me please let me know what worked and helped for you to get by. Thankyou.

Hayleyp Severe Health Anxiety
  • replies: 4

I am after some suggestions as to how others have dealt best with their health anxiety. At the moment I am constantly exhausted from the anxiety and thoughts of having ALS. It consumes my every waking moment! It all started with a twitch in my thumb,... View more

I am after some suggestions as to how others have dealt best with their health anxiety. At the moment I am constantly exhausted from the anxiety and thoughts of having ALS. It consumes my every waking moment! It all started with a twitch in my thumb, which my GP said was from muscle fatigue as I had spent a lot of time prior on my computer for work...made sense at the time, but by the time I had got to the appt my health anxiety was out of control and I was a mess. I requested to restart a medication I had taken for my last severe bout of anxiety and that seems to have settled my thoughts somewhat, but I’d like a more permanent solution. Since my GP visit I have begun having twitches all over my body in random places which I know is a symptom of anxiety, but those underlying thoughts of something more sinister will not go away! With some illnesses i think I have, I can work my way through them and not require medication, but not this time. In the past couple of years, in my head, I have had breast, bowel, uterine, cervical and skin cancer, as well as MS, heart disease and more!! It is exhausting! Has anyone tried CBT and how did you find it helpful...how do I find a good psychologist and begin the process as I think I am at that stage now because I can’t fake it much more.

kel32 accepting anxiety
  • replies: 4

hi everyone. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety a year ago now....but still struggling to accept its anxiety as i get so many 'physical 'symptoms on a daily basis. Had numerous different blood tests aswell as a brain mri which were all normal. I hav... View more

hi everyone. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety a year ago now....but still struggling to accept its anxiety as i get so many 'physical 'symptoms on a daily basis. Had numerous different blood tests aswell as a brain mri which were all normal. I have an excellent doctor who is very thorough and i do trust his judgement but theres also a part of me that keeps thinking....what if he is missing something! for those who struggled to accept but finally do.....how did u go about accepting what it is and getting on woth your lives? Thank you in advance

MsAnxious Post surgery complication and anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi all, I am new to this forum and would be keen to hear other members’ experience with overcoming negative thoughts when going through ill health. I have a major surgery about one and a half month ago and am having a complication. Nothing too painfu... View more

Hi all, I am new to this forum and would be keen to hear other members’ experience with overcoming negative thoughts when going through ill health. I have a major surgery about one and a half month ago and am having a complication. Nothing too painful and not life threatening, but is impacting quality of life. Because of my condition I rarely get out of the house as I can get very uncomfortable and will need to use a bathroom. Because I stay home most of the time my mental health is affected. I do have a history of mental health issues and maybe this is impacting my mental resilience? Even as I am writing this I feel silly - a 46 year old complaining when so many other people in the world have bigger issues! My biggest issue is catastrophic thinking. On a bad day I would think I will never get better, will have to resign from work and will not be able to have a meaningful family life. This will make me anxious which will then trigger another catastrophic thinking of relapsing into my previous mental health struggles, which have been under control for 6 years now. My doctors won’t do anything about my complication until 3 to 6 months post surgery as they believe my insides need to recover fully first, and with luck the condition might resolve itself within that time frame. So, I feel rather unsupported by the medical profession. Family and friends can sympathise but not empathise because they have never been through this. I also am worried about friends getting sick of me taking about my condition and seeing me as a whinger. I am going back to work at the end of January which also is causing anxiety. I am not sure I can cope at work. Please if you have experienced a similar situation I would appreciate your sharing some advice on how to overcome all the negative thinking. Regards, MsAnxious.

Stanlee14 Coping With Panicked Thoughts And Catastrophic Thinking
  • replies: 4

Hello All! Im new, hope this is in the right section. I was hoping to start a general conversation about managing panicked thinking and catastrophic thoughts. I was diagnosed with GAD, Depression and PTSD many years ago but have managed to cope for t... View more

Hello All! Im new, hope this is in the right section. I was hoping to start a general conversation about managing panicked thinking and catastrophic thoughts. I was diagnosed with GAD, Depression and PTSD many years ago but have managed to cope for the most part for many years. However in the last eight months my anxiety has begun to change into what my phycologist believes is a panic disorder. Most of my anxieties are health related as I live with a chronic illness. It is also important to note that despite a vague dizziness which started about 2 and half months ago, which I have seen multiple GP's and specialists about (who have so far found nothing) My doctors assure me I'm in remarkable health and as healthy as I've ever been. Although this would be reassuring for many it has done nothing to ease my worried mind. For months I have been constantly stressing and fearing the worst (almost as if I'm expecting my health to fail me). My days of late have consisted of running through various scenarios of possible things that could go wrong (my strange and sudden dizziness has not helped this). Back on track though I imagine I can't be the only one here that have battled their own heads like this and wanted to see if any one out have had similar problems and if any one out there has any advice on how to stop/manage catastrophic thinking. Cheers!

unseen1 Nothing Seems To Work
  • replies: 3

Hi, I have been experiencing PTSD and severe anxiety for the past 12 years. I am currently taking medication daily but my anxiety is still at an all-time high. Over the past 10 years, I have tried everything from seeing psychologists, psychiatrists, ... View more

Hi, I have been experiencing PTSD and severe anxiety for the past 12 years. I am currently taking medication daily but my anxiety is still at an all-time high. Over the past 10 years, I have tried everything from seeing psychologists, psychiatrists, GP's and support workers. Lately, my anxiety has been getting worse as I have an extremely stressful event coming up in a month that means I will have to public speak in court. I don't know how I am going to get through it without having a panic attack and making a complete fool of myself! I am at the point now where I cannot sleep, eat or think about anything else but that. My medications don't seem to be working at all and would like to know if anyone has any methods that can help me get through this really stressful period? I have used benzodiazepenes in the past but don't want to become reliant on them on top of what I am already taking. I am at a loss as to what to do and it is affecting every aspect of my life. I am 46, have no family and my grown children have all moved on so am now living alone. Any advice would be helpful. TIA

Mks90 Sudden prolonged panic episode HELP
  • replies: 4

I am a 28 year old business professional with generalised anxiety disorder most of my life, nothing too serious. Something happened I want input on. On New Years Day, I woke up 8:30 am with a mild hangover. At 10:30 I came over sweaty, weak, shivery ... View more

I am a 28 year old business professional with generalised anxiety disorder most of my life, nothing too serious. Something happened I want input on. On New Years Day, I woke up 8:30 am with a mild hangover. At 10:30 I came over sweaty, weak, shivery and sick in the stomach (standard fare for hangover) but also a sensation of being unable to breathe correctly. I could breathe fine, I just felt like I wasn't. So began the four day ordeal I am still in the throes of. The symptoms of the hangover subsided, somewhat, but never went away. For four days now I have been: experiencing severe breathing anxiety (ie. "I might stop breathing, I feel like I have to concentrate on breathing, my chest isn't working", etc) ongoing, non-stop nausea, enough to prevent me from eating - I have barely eaten this past few days weakness and shaking and shivering - hot flushes, and a feeling like my whole body is about to shut down, or stop working building sense of dread and terror about my condition that waxes and wanes but won't ever completely go away a sense of altered mental state or altered consciousness - like I'm trapped in a fishbowl, and everything is subtly off, subtly different, and I'm sick and wrong inside, but when I try to pin down what precisely is different, I can't pinpoint anything. This has never happened to me before. At first, I thought it was something the hangover did. I also took a small bit of weed to ease the anxiety, but that made me feel 1000% worse (never has before). In the last two days, realising it wasn't going to stop, I have had three bad panic attacks where I swear I thought I was dying. I shake, I get weak, I slide to the floor. Everything just feels like my last moments. I'm terrified. I feel like I'm constantly holding my breath. Just existing is stressful... I've been clear of any drugs or substances for days now. I'm not a heavy drug user, just a bit of pot now and then. This is new. I don't have any explanation for what triggered it. I've been stressed out a fair bit this last year, but I was on holidays and partying on New Years Eve when this all started. Someone, anyone, please tell me this is going to end. If this doesn't stop soon, I don't think I can survive. Its that bad; I will kill myself. I'm frightened. I just... need someone to tell me it will end. That I'm not broken beyond repair.

Zeffy Early Hours
  • replies: 5

Hey guys, I don't expect anyone to read this. More of a way to get my thoughts down on paper and if anyone has any advice I'm all ears. I struggle to type this because Im so tired. However when I close my eyes, my brain is overcome with thoughts and ... View more

Hey guys, I don't expect anyone to read this. More of a way to get my thoughts down on paper and if anyone has any advice I'm all ears. I struggle to type this because Im so tired. However when I close my eyes, my brain is overcome with thoughts and Im yanked back to my sleepless reality. Im finding it hard to stay rational. I can't help but think my sleeping will never return to normal.. but I want to believe it will! The more i think about a sleepless future the more anxious I get, thus the cycle repeats. The frustrating thing is I can view this cycle, I know its completely psychological, but yet I can't stop it.. It doesn't happen all the time. I don't know what causes it. The brain is a mystery. Would love to hear from someone who's overcome sleepless nights to once again enjoy the benefits of a nights rest. Just to know there is.. hope.

Jjjjj982 Panic attacks and overwhelmed! I'm so lost...
  • replies: 1

Hi there I am new to this group and very nervous to post but I need some guidance, assistnace, someone in the same situation etc.. Never have I ever had this happen. Had a panic attack a few days ago (atleast I think it was). On the floor, uncontrabl... View more

Hi there I am new to this group and very nervous to post but I need some guidance, assistnace, someone in the same situation etc.. Never have I ever had this happen. Had a panic attack a few days ago (atleast I think it was). On the floor, uncontrable crying, sweating, breathing so fast my chest tightened and I couldn't breathe. My partner nearly called an ambulance, he had no idea what to do the poor thing and I couldn't talk or understand what was happening. This has now happend 3 more times over 2 days (not quite as bad), and I am struggling, mentally and physically! My partner is amazing, but at 4am this morning when I went into panic mode, I felt I was being frustrating to him and it isn't fair as he works so hard and he doesn't need this burden, it's only my fault and my responsibility! I dont know what to do!

Italianstallion91 My silliest and most troubling ocd yet.
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Usually with ocd I can deal with it okay depending on what it is however I’m currently having a lot of trouble getting past this current episode. I’m worried that I will forget how to move my arms and legs and be paralysed basically. It’s like I need... View more

Usually with ocd I can deal with it okay depending on what it is however I’m currently having a lot of trouble getting past this current episode. I’m worried that I will forget how to move my arms and legs and be paralysed basically. It’s like I need to use my brain to move and it’s making me exhausted and tired and I don’t no how much longer I can deal with this. I know deep down this worry is silly but would love to here you guys opinions and ways to cope. Thankyou